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Maisie is an approximately 3 year old staffie and is currently on foster in Treharris, South Wales.

The Maisie Fact FileDog status: Good out on walks, would prefer to be the only dog in her new homeCat status: UnknownChild status: Good, can be rehomed with children over the age of 8House training: PerfectHome alone: Fine to be left for short periods. Not suitable for full time workers as she loves company. Basic training: knows the basics and walks nicely on the lead.

Maisie has settled in to her foster home very well and has shown herself to be a gentle and loving dog. She loves people and is always keen to say hello to visitors and people out on walks. She is good with children and likes their company; she could be rehomed with children over the age of 8 years.

Maisie is fine when meeting other dogs, unless they are too bouncy and get in her face too quickly, and then she has been known to growl at them. She does not snap, it is just a kind of ''keep your distance” growl. She is living as the only dog in her foster home and we feel this would be best for her in her forever home also (more cuddles for Maisie)

Maisie is untested with cats and may be best rehomed without feline friends.

When Maisie arrived in our care she had a long standing ear infection which had gone untreated for a long time. The poor thing was in pain and discomfort with her ears and has had to have a number of vet visits and treatments. Throughout all her vet work she has been an ideal patient, sweet and kind and takes her medicine and any treatment well. She also has a number of symptoms relating to allergies and this is currently under investigation. She is taking steroids and evening primrose oil at the minute to help to settle her skin down. Her steroids are relatively inexpensive at under £8 per month at the current dose.

Maisie is a calm and laid back dog in the home. She is not demanding or over active. Once she has had a walk and a cuddle she is happy and will snooze the day away and sun bathe. Maisie is house trained and is happy to be left on her own for short periods. She does love human company and therefore we do not feel that she should be rehomed with full time workers.

All Hope Rescue dogs are neutered, vaccinated, wormed, flea treated and microchipped prior to rehoming. A homecheck will be required, and you will need to come and meet the dog with your own dogs and family. Hope Rescue rehomes throughout the UK. A Pre-Home Interest Form can be downloaded from www.hoperescue.org.uk and should be returned to dogs@hoperescue.org.uk

Maisie has completed a series of blood tests which needed to be performed after Maisie was steroid free for a period of time to see if we could identify a specific allergen that she could be desensitised to.

The best diagnosis is that Maisie has atopic dermatitis, but the cause has not been identified. The vet has suggested that she stay on the hypo allergenic diet, have one 5mg steroid tablet a day, and she would need monthly flea treatment, instead of the usual 6 week period. A daily evening primrose oil tablet would also be beneficial.

Maisie will be rehomed as a no donation dog and the cost of the steroids per month would be under £10 a month.

Maisie scrubs up well. A few drops of olive oil in her dinner and a few minutes brushing each day does the trick. She shines in the sun ! Maisie is coping ok on one steroid a day - virtually no scratching and no foot chewing/licking. I think the scratching she does do is because she likes it. ( Don't we all ? OK just me then). And she loves the hypo-allergenic food, that's all she gets now. All her usual treats have been replaced with this food, and she doesn't seem to mind a bit. We have a new walking route which has more hills in it, so she is getting more exercise, as am I. I wouldn't say the excess weight is falling off her, but she does look a bit more streamlined. And she makes the most of her down-time. Long naps after walkies, after lunch and after dinner. Then it's time for bed. Maisie is a real low maintenance lady, apart from a couple of pills a day she requires no more care than any other dog. Very easy to walk, friendly with people and kids, and friendly with polite dogs. She actually moves away from passing dogs and shows no interest in them. I think she is a bit of a snob. All she needs now is a home where she can love everybody.

Maisie is now down to half a steroid tablet per day and seems to be coping ok on this dose. I guess her immune system is slowly coming back, after what must have been a long period of neglect and poor diet. Weight loss continues slowly and she looks good. Today she went to a new park for a sniff around and loved it. After an hour or so she decided she was tired and turned round and headed for the car park. Very smart dog. Now she is laid behind me on the chair, snoring gently and dreaming doggy dreams of new places and new smells. Maisie's coat has continued to improve and she is very sleek now. Scratching is minimal, no more than any other dog I have had, and she no longer chews and licks her feet obsessively. The plan is to continue to reduce her steroid dose, hopefully to zero. She is a very independent dog, and does not need to be next to you all the time at home. Often she will take herself upstairs to her bed for an afternoon nap, or laze about in the garden, but then she will pop in now and then just to check you are ok, and then slope off again. Occasionally she will come and sit on you and curl up for a sleep on your lap, or snuggle up beside you with her head on your heart and drift off. Maisie still has the odd trembling session, which seem to come on for no reason. I know we are told that dogs only live in the present and have no concept of past and future, but I am not so sure. Personally I think she is having flashbacks. Anyway, the shakes are soon cured by a little distraction activity or, if you are on the couch she will just come and sit beside you until it stops. I don't give fusses or treats when she does this, as it may reinforce the shakes ! Maisie is not really into toys, but will play for five minutes or so at a time. She is good at fetch and drop, but seems to have a short attention span. When she has had enough, and you throw a ball, she just looks at you as if to say " what did you do that for ? " and wanders off. Maisie remains perfectly housetrained and can be left for up to 4 hours with no problem. As I have said before she is polite when greeting most dogs, but likes her personal space. and will warn off any dog that tries to initiate the sniffing of parts ritual without being asked. She then disdainfully turns her back on them and begins examining her surroundings - the perfect doggy cold shoulder. So far no dog has had to be told twice ! Maisie doesn't mind going out in the rain, unless it's pouring down. Then she will look out the door and do her funny little walking backwards routine, which is clearly meant as a " no thank you " . She is clean, tidy, not destructive or demanding, and loves to please. A really good mate. I have lived with worse, and they were people.

Maisie remains on half a 5 mg steroid tablet a day. Attempts to reduce the dose bring back some symptoms, so I guess we will have to settle for that. Currently it costs around £ 3 a month to keep her stable. Apart from that she is healthy, if a little overweight, but the diet continues. Maisie enjoys her walks but is quite happy to doze in front of the fire if it's too rainy to go out. She will go out in the garden when it is raining to use the bathroom, but puts it off as long as possible. There have been no accidents, even when she hasn't been out for 18 hours or more ! Maisie has been on a few walks with her friend Tilly, who is very exciteable, but Maisie soon calms her down and they walk happily together.She is a very friendly dog, and likes meeting new people. Today we stopped to talk to a fisherman who gave her a fuss and she was climbing into his lap in seconds. Maisie would make a useless guard dog, as she lets everybody in and greets them politely. After the initial excitement of somebody coming in Maisie will wander off and ignore them unless she thinks they have food. Maisie mostly ignores other dogs now when we are out on walks, but she will stand and wait while us owners stop for a chat without showing any signs of aggression, even when I make a fuss of the other dog. She travels happily in the car, although she will occasionally hop over into the back seat so she can see where we are going.Maisie is a very calm, affectionate lady, but not too clingy. She will often go upstairs for an afternoon nap on her bed and come down an hour or so later and check up on you. Being left home alone is not a problem for her. She will sit on the window sill and watch out for you until you return. She would be happy in a single person home, or with a family with children.